title: Significance of patient-controlled analgesia combined with continuous epidural block for patients with limb trauma.
abstract: Patients who were treated for fractures of the limbs were assigned to 1 of 2 groups for the management of postoperative pain. In Group 1 (postoperative patient-controlled analgesia group), 46 patients were given postoperative continuous epidural anaesthesia in combination with narcotic analgesics and this was regulated by the patient using a device. The 46 patients in Group 2 (control group) received suppositories or intramuscular injections of narcotic analgesics on their request. Patients in Group 1 needed suppositories and intramuscular injection of narcotic analgesics less often than those in Group 2, and had more satisfactory pain relief according to the visual analogue scale for pain assessment made on the first, second and third postoperative day. The time spent by nurses for pain management in Group 1 was less than that in Group 2. It appears that this patient-controlled method, combined with postoperative continuous epidural anaesthesia, is a safe, effective and efficient method for the management of postoperative pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Terahata
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Makiyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanamori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000295:instrumentation; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005121:Extremities / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid